Scientists, politicians, environmentalists and journalists have long been stymied by the difficult task of engaging people so that they will agree to begin curbing toxic greenhouse gas emissions.

Some people deny — out of fear or vested interests — that there are increased levels of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere, some say if there is a problem it isn’t caused by humans and some just don’t seem to care.

The report states that “global warming” and “climate change” also “activate different sets of beliefs, feelings, and behaviors, as well as different degrees of urgency about the need to respond.”

The academics found that the term “global warming” is associated with greater public understanding, emotional engagement and support for personal and national action than the term “climate change.”

The report said that using the term “global warming” is associated with greater certainty that the phenomenon is happening and more intense worry about the issue. It also suggests that “global warming” conjures up much more severe images than “climate change.”

“Overall, Americans are +13 percentage points more likely to say that global warming is a 'bad thing’ (76%) than climate change (63%),” the report noted. “In particular, they are +10 points more likely to say global warming is a ‘very bad thing’ (33%) than climate change (23%). By contrast, Americans are +12 points more likely to perceive climate change as a good thing (33%) than global warming (21%).

In addition, the report noted that the two phrases have been used by politicians to advance certain positions.

“Prior to the 2002 mid-term elections, Frank Luntz, a Republican pollster and strategist, gave the George W. Bush administration the following advice in a secret memo about how to win the ‘environmental communications battle,’ including global warming,” the report said.

Luntz’s recommendation to Republicans was to use the term climate change instead of global warming:

“It’s time for us to start talking about ‘climate change’ instead of global warming…‘climate change’ is less frightening than ‘global warming.’ As one focus group participant noted, climate change ‘sounds like you’re going from Pittsburgh to Fort Lauderdale.’ While global warming has catastrophic connotations attached to it, climate change suggests a more controllable and less emotional challenge.”

The report added that a New York Times analysis found the term “global warming” appeared in a number of Bush’s environmental speeches in 2001, but after receiving Luntz’s memo, the White House shifted to consistently using “climate change” instead.

"Fossil-fuel companies have spent millions funding anti-global-warming think tanks, purposely creating a climate of doubt around the science. DeSmogBlog is the antidote to that obfuscation." ~ BRYAN WALSH, TIME MAGAZINE

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A California family is suing the state for failing to protect their children from fracking.

At issue are the state’s new fracking regulations, which went into effect on July 1. Rodrigo Romo, the named plaintiff in the suit, says the rules discriminate against Latino children, like his daughters, because they are far more likely to go to school or live near a fracked well.

“Everyday my daughters go to school, they fear for their health and safety because of how close the fracking wells are to their schools,” Romo said in a...